British Black Raspberries Help Prevent Cancer

A new variety of British-grown black raspberries is claimed to be the new superfood that could help prevent cancer.

Dubbed Mac Black, this variety of black raspberry supposedly holds a more intense flavor than the traditional red varieties.

The British black raspberries or Mac Blacks are believed to contain fairly high levels of compounds that have been identified as being beneficial in checking cancer.

Mac Blacks are loaded with anthocyanins, antioxidants and ellagic acid, and are touted as the ‘king of berries’ due to their superior health benefits.

Studies have revealed that extracts of blackberries and raspberries can slow the growth of cervical, breast, colon & oesophageal cancers.

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Eat Three Bananas Daily To Slash Risk Of Stroke

Italian and British researchers have discovered that having 3 bananas everyday reduces the risk of a stroke.   

According to them, eating a banana for your breakfast, one at lunchtime & a third banana in the evening could provide adequate potassium to cut the chances of developing a blood clot on the brain by almost 21 %.

The findings indicate that it’s possible to prevent strokes by consuming other potassium-enriched foods like spinach, nuts, fish, milk and lentils.

University of Warwick & University of Naples researchers found that a daily intake of 1,600 mg of potassium was enough to cut stroke risk by 1/5th.

The average banana has about 500 mg of potassium, which aids in lowering blood pressure & controls the body’s balance of fluids.

Inadequate intake of potassium can cause an irregular heartbeat, nausea, diarrhea and irritability.

Strokes usually happen when a clot develops & cuts-off blood supply to the brain.

The single major risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure and earlier research has shown that potassium may help bring down blood pressure.

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Neotropical Blueberries Are The Ultimate Superfruits

According to a study, blueberries are feted as a super fruit, full of disease-fighting antioxidants that help the body eliminate harmful free radicals. However, the “highbush” blueberries that are available in U.S. supermarkets are not as loaded with antioxidants as some blueberry varieties available in Mexico, Central & South America.

Scientists refer to the “neotropcial” blueberries as extreme superfruits that are crammed with almost 11 times the antioxidant punch of ordinary blueberries and are able to afford increased protection against cancer, heart disease and other ailments.

The only catch is that neotropical blueberries are not easy to source in the U.S.

Meanwhile, folks could do worse than have highbush blueberries.

Blueberries have several health benefits – they help protect against urinary infections, cancer and the accumulation of “bad” cholesterol in arteries – which can trigger heart attack & stroke. They’re low in calories, high in fiber & they contain iron, calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium and vitamins A & C.

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Sweet Poison – Calcium Carbide Used To Ripen Mangoes

Traders in India are using calcium carbide to ripen mangoes and this may be toxic. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act bans the chemical but it’s being widely used across Delhi. The state government has suddenly gotten wise to it and is preparing to tackle the problem.

Delhi receives around 5,000 tonnes of mangoes daily, of which almost 60% are consumed in the city. The government recommends that traders shift to ethylene gas which is quite harmless and is a more natural way of ripening mangoes. The carcinogenic and toxic calcium carbide is primarily meant for industrial use & the acetylene gas it produces is used for welding purposes. Besides, calcium carbide destroys the sweetness and flavor of the fruit.

The government will organize special campaigns to educate merchants and fruit traders & encourage adoption of ethylene gas as an alternative.

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Apples Top List Of Most Pesticide-Contaminated Produce

The Environmental Working Group has listed apples as the most contaminated produce. 92% of apples were found to contain 2 or more pesticides.

Even after washing & peeling apples, the fruits were found to possess high amounts of pesticide residue.

Government data on fifty-three vegetables & fruits was analyzed, and the produce with the most & least pesticides after being washed and peeled were identified. In case of produce with high pesticide levels, the group recommends purchasing organic foods.

It’s believed that more pesticides & fungicides are applied to apples after the harvest in order to ensure they have an extended shelf life. Although small amounts of pesticides are added, the subtle, long-term effects of the majority of the pesticides are not yet known.

The report says that the volume of pesticides consumed daily can be lowered by 92%, if people choose 5 servings a day of fruit & vegetables from the clean list.

The Dirty Dozen

1. Apples

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Nectarines (imported)

7. Grapes (imported)

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/collard greens

Rankings reflect the pesticide levels on food when it’s eaten. Most produce samples were washed & peeled before testing. The report says that using a “produce wash” to wash produce will not help remove pesticides as they are taken up by the whole plant & reside on more than just the skin.

For consumers who cannot afford the more expensive organic food, the list offers alternatives.

The Clean 15

1. Onions

2. Corn

3. Pineapples

4. Avocado

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet peas

7. Mangoes

8. Eggplant

9. Cantaloupe (domestic)

10. Kiwi

11. Cabbage

12. Watermelon

13. Sweet potatoes

14. Grapefruit

15. Mushrooms

If you wish to avoid consuming pesticides, go with the EWG Clean 15.   When in doubt, choose organic.

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